Flexible button



June 25, 1929. F R WHITE ET AL 1,718,844

FLEXIBLE BUTTON Flel June 20, 1928 16 W I N .v u v u v` (u. I Z5 ln uen'ors.- Exanleln lwzi'ef Leonandli C' 7 ey,

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Patented June 25, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

:FRANKLIN WHITE, or WATnnnUnY, AND LnoNAnn n. CanLnY, er wamnnrown, CoNNnCTCUT, AssreNens To Tnn mienne BUTTON COMPANY, or WATENBURY, CONNECTICUT, A CoNyonaTrC-N or CONNECTICUT.

FLEXIBLE BUT'I'ON.

Application filed June 20,

0in:- invention relates tonew and useful .iinprovements in buttons and more part-icularlyv to that kind or type oi buttons known and referred to as flexible or swivel buttons.'

The invention in its broadest aspect is similar to the button Ishown in the patent to Leonard R. Carley, No. 1,191,5lllf, dated July 9.5, 1916, and the present invention is also a companion application to our application filed et even date herewith and eN- ecnted May 31, 1928.

ln the companion application, the button has provided in its head or shell, an anvil or slug for deitlecting the prong ot a fastening member as the button isbeing attached to the cloth; whereas the present invention contemplates a similar button but, the cover for the button head is so arranged that the small metal anvil or slug may be entirely dispensed with. This is made possible by having a certain type cover and having a plunger oit the tastening machine extend down within the cover during the attaching o 'l the button head to the cloth, this phinger oit the machine deflecting and crinlping the prong olf the lfastening member to the bntton head, and thns acconiplishing the same .result as in the companion application withont the expense, however, ot the small anvil in each button.

Another object of the pii'esent invention is to provide a swivel button that con'iprises simply an eyelet, a shell. niovably secured with relation to the eyelet, and a cover on theishell so constructed that a plunger :from the machine may pass the-rein and del'lect and crimp a fastening member, bnt later will secure the eyelet to the goods and thns, olf coni-se, secure the button.

Still another object oit the invention is to provide a button that possesses extreme llexibility, iin other words, the head being capable oil a shifting movement on its eyelet such as in the companion application, and to t'nrther 'form an opening therein and Crimp the fastening member as the button is applied, thns making an extremely simple andcllicient torni oit button and one easy ot attachment.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a button wherein the cover may have a recess centrally thereof, and this recess, lin- 1928. Serial No. 286,885.

stead ot being open at the bottom, asin the preferred torni, may be imperlitnate at its bottom, but constructed, nevertheless, so that the plunger may lit within the recess as the bntton is applied and in the same manner crimp and secure the fastening njieans with relation to Athe button head.

As is well known to those skilled in the art, tack buttons are generally applied bv the use of a fastening machine, said machine being so arranged that the tacks are ted from one ehnte, and the button heads :troni another and the machine so synchronized and timed that the tacks are'driven npwardly through the goods into the respective button heads and the point or prong oli' the tack so deflected that the button head can never thereafter be removed ilron'i the cloth or garment, unless, olf course, the same is cnt oli; with heavy pliers or tools ol1 a similar nature.

Still another object of the invention to provide a flexible type button consisting oit lint the eyelet and the shell, which are assembled loe'lore the bi'itton is attached, and theproviding oi a cover :lier the button head into which a plunger may lit to 'tasten `the tacks ot the button head.

lVith these and other objects 'in view, the invention consists :in certain new and novel arrangements and combimltion oil? parts as will. `be hereimitter more lnlly described and pointed ont in the claims.

Reil'erring now to the drawings showing a ln'e'lferred and modified form oit the inven tion Fig. 1 is a top plan view o'li the button, parts being broken away lor the .sake of clearness,

Fig. 2 a vertical section oit' the button showing a plunger and die in position and del'lecting the point of a fastening member dnring the attaching operation, i

Fig. 3 is a similar view alter the aliixing or attaching operation has taken place,

Fig. l is a similar view but showing the button extended, as in possible nse, and also showing in dot and dash lines a tilted position thereof,

Fig. 5 is a detail section o'l asseml'ily of button shell and eyelet,

Fig. 6 is a detail section et the top member or cover before assembly, and

Fig. 7 is a vertical section similar to Fig. 3 of a slightly modified form.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1 to t5 inclusive, it will be seen'that the button or button head comprises a shell` or back 1, which is provided with the hub 2, the outwardly extending portion 3 and the small outer peripheral rim t.

l The bottom of the hub has the restricted circular opening 5 and the slightly upwardly extending rim or wall 6 as may be clearly seen` in ltheseveral views.

There-will also beseen the eyeletl 7`wh1ch comprises the upwardly extending hollow hub 8 mergingjwith the lower surface of it is identicalV with the companion application, and5 it will be seen that the head may telescope or move with relation to the eyelet, but cannot bec-ome detachedas therim 6` wheny the button is elongated will. Contact with and loe h eld against separation by the downwardly extendingirim 9 of1 the hub 8.

Tghis allows great flexibility as set` out in the companion applicationand also allows a tiltingv of the buttonfhead` so that the same may-be'easilymanipulated by the fingers, and

i also allows plenty of room for the goods about the button hole or. room for the wire loops that. may be usedover the button head;

From this point, however, the-button differs from-the button shownin the patent to LeonardRpCarley, No. 1,191,944, and from the construction shown inv the companion application. v1n the companion, application thereis shown` anA anvilvinsertedfin the button head, but in the present instance, a plungeror-die-is usedin a fastening machine to secure-the same results that.. the little anvil in the companion application performs.

i Referr-ingfor the moment to Fig. G, there is show-n asmall cover 15,V provided with a flange 16which is then placed over the shell 1 and the rim lt-spun inwardly so that the same-will tightly lock over. the rim 4 ofthe buttonbaek or shell, thus completing the button head.

Still referringto Fig. @there willbe seen centrally ofA this cover, an opening 17 and the small depending flange 18 forming the wallsv aboutl the-opening. The. diameter of the opening is such thatadie 19 ofa plunger QO-may. pass throughthe opening andcrimp the prong 21of the vtack 22. This die 19 may be recessed as at 23 so that the point of the prong will readily deflect as the tack ascends.

In Fig. Q I have shown the manner in which the button is to be attached to the cloth 24. The plunger Q0 with its die 19 of an attaching machine (not shown) vhas moved downwardly within the opening 17 of the cover of the button and the cup-shape die is now positioncd directly above the hollow huh of the eyelet. The prong Q1 of the tack is .shown as having just started in its upward movement, it having pierced the goods, passed up within the hub af-'the eyelet and has engaged the die and the point has .started in itsl detlected path of movement 1n Figs; 3 and 4, the prong shown as in its final condition, that is crimped and extending partly over the curled rim 9 otthe cyelet, thus tightly securing the eyelet tothe goods. Of course the eyelet being .secured in this manner, the head or shell is free to flex or tiltv and also to move vertically with relation tothe eyclet, but at the saine time cannot become detached therefrom.

In the modified form, the construction is identical with lthe exception of a slight change in the cover plate.

There the shell 25, cyelet- Q6, which are held against detachment inthe same manner, and there is the cover Q7 and the tack 28. This cover, however, has a central` pocket or recess 29and the defining wallv Il() which is a little deeper than the wall 1S ofthe cover 15. Furthermore, the recess` rather than heing openy at its bottom, has theintegral` hottom 31.

The manner, however, of attaching the but ton is the same, as thedie 19 will pass down within the opening Q9 and in the Ismall chamber or recess formed in the cover, and when the buttonA is being attached, the point or prong otI its tack 2S when fenced upwardly will be deflected and crimped over the upper edge of the hub of theeyelet. in exactly the same manner as shown in` the preferred form. This small bottoni wal 31 will prevent any dirt or foreign matter from getting down into the button and may give a more linishedefl'ect than the preferred form, but, otherwise there is. no'distinction betwcenthe two.

le have only shown one form of eyelet, as secured tothe shell, but. any suitable t'orm ofeyelet of the same type may he used.

From the foregoingiit will be seen that we have produced a buttonof the flexible type, possessing the advantages ofthe companion application but being slightly cheaper to manufacture as the necessity of providing the separate anvil: for each button is dispensed with.

Many slight changes might be made without in any way departing from the .spirit and scope ofthe invention.

Having thus describedsour invention, what ltlt) llt) We claim as neuT and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A flexible button comprising an eyelet open at its top, a button head tiltably secured to said eyelet, the head comprising a shell and a cover, said cover provided with a central opening therein, and said opening adapted to receive a die during the attaching operation of the button.

2. A iexible button comprising an eyelet having an integral hub, a head tiltably and inovably secured to the hub of said eyelet the head comprising a shell and cover, said cover provided with an opening therein, the eyelet adapted to permaliently receive afastening member and the opening in said cover adapted to temporarily receive a plunger during the time the fastening member is being forced Within the eyelet.

A ilexible button comprising an eyelet having an integral hub, a head swivelly and shilftably secured to the hub of said eyelet, the head comprising a shell and a cover, said cover provided with an. o pening therein and directly over the center of said eyelet, whereby a plunger may be positioned over said eyelet during the attaching operation of the button.

l. A l'ieXible button comprising an eyelet ably, shiftably and tiltably secured thereto, the button head comprising a shell having a top cover, and the top cover provided with an opening and a small depending Wall around the opening, a tack iliastener, and the opening 'of the cover adapted to receive a plunger during the Yfasteniiig operation and. deiect the point ol the tack over the hub oli the eyelet to thereby :fasten the button to an article.

G. A flexible button comprising an eyelet, said cyelet having a base and an integral upi Wardly extendingwhub and the upper end o'l'i the h ub bein go utwardly flared, a button head having a hub and having its lower end curled upwardly and adapted to interlock with the curled upper edge of the hub, a cover for said button head and the eyelet adapted to receive a tac-k member to hold said eyelet and button in position.

7. A 'flexible button comprising an eyelet, said eyelet having a base and upwardly extending hub and the upper edge oi the hub curled outwardly, a button head having a hub, the lower endol Which .is curled up Wardly to interlock with the curled rim when the said button is moved upwardly on the linbloi the eyelet, a cover 'for said button head and said cover provided with a central depressed portion in the cover, said depressed portion adapted to temporarily receive a die and a tack adapted. to be deiiected when forced into said button head by the said die and thus secure the tack to said eyelet.

In testimony whereof We ailix our signatures.

FRANKLIN R. VHITE. LEONARD R. CARLEY. 

